National Register of Historic Places & National Historic Landmarks in Lexington

About

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archaeological resources.

Properties listed on the National Register include buildings, sites, districts, structures and objects. For private property owners, National Register listing places no restrictions on the use, treatment, transfer or disposition of property.

The following resources in Lexington are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

Buildings

• Buckman Tavern, 1 Bedford Street (listed October 15, 1966) Text (PDF) Photos (PDF)
• General Samuel Chandler House, 8 Goodwin Road (listed April 13, 1977) Text (PDF)
• Follen Community Church, 755 Massachusetts Avenue (listed April 30, 1976) Text (PDF)
• Franklin School, 7 Stedman Road (listed September 25, 2009) Text (PDF)
• Hancock-Clarke House, 36 Hancock Street (listed July 17, 1971) Text (PDF) Photos (PDF)
• Hancock School, 33 Forest Street (listed August 22, 1975) Text (PDF)
• John Mason House, 1303 Massachusetts Avenue (listed 03-09-1990) First Period Survey (PDF) Context Statement (PDF)
• M.H. Merriam and Co., 7-9 Oakland Street (listed February 18, 2009) Text (PDF)
• Warren E Sherburne House, 11 Percy Road (listed 12-02-1977) Text (PDF)
• Simonds Tavern, 331 Bedford Street (listed October 14, 1976) Text (PDF)
• Stone Building, 735 Massachusetts Avenue (listed April 30, 1976) Text (PDF)
• U.S. Post Office, 1661 Massachusetts Avenue (listed June 26, 1986) Text (PDF)

Districts

• Lexington Green Historic District (listed October 15, 1966) Text (PDF) Photos (PDF) and (listed April 30, 1976) Text (PDF)
• Metropolitan State Hospital District, Waltham and Lexington (listed January 31, 1994) Text (PDF)
• Mid-Century Modern Homes of Lexington (listed November 21, 2012) Context Statement (PDF)
• Minute Man National Historic Park (listed October 15, 1966 and November 29, 2002) Text (PDF) Photos
• Peacock Farm Historic District (listed November 21, 2012) Text (PDF) Photos (PDF)
• Sanderson House and Munroe Tavern Historic District (listed April 26, 1976) Text (PDF)
• Six Moon Hill Historic District (listed January 19, 2016) Text (PDF) Photos (PDF)

There are many other properties within the town that are potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. More information on the benefits of listing and the National Register listing process can be obtained from the Massachusetts Historical Commission or National Park Service websites.

National Historic Landmarks

In addition to attaining National Register designation, three properties in Lexington - the Buckman Tavern, Hancock-Clarke House and the Lexington Green - have been declared National Historic Landmarks. Landmarks are buildings, sites, districts, structures and objects that have been determined by the Secretary of the Interior to be nationally significant in American history and culture. Many of the most renowned historic properties in the Nation are Landmarks. Only about 2,300 of the 76,000 entries in the National Register of Historic Places have the national standing to qualify to be National Historic Landmarks.